Large Steam Whistle Collection on eBay

This is a large collection of large steam whistles, unfortunately at a large starting bid.

Notice the big one on the lower left !

Note als that the owner has good taste in tool cabinets......

This must be one of the world's outstanding collections of whistles. It's a bigger grouping than I've seen at Pratt Institute's New Year's Whistle Blow. There's a collector who works at Bergen County Technical School, but I've not seen that collection and cannot comment.

It thought it was steep too, until I looked at ALL the pictures and saw just how many whistles & steam horns were included. Then add up what each one would be worth, using eBay completed auction prices. (That is, assuming you can actually find prices realized on some of the rarer pieces!) Then, all of a sudden, it doesn't look so outlandish, although it still is.

The biggest reason that the price IS outlandish is that nobody with that kinda "spending money" is likely to give a hoot about steam whistles.

And +1 on the "cheap advertising" theory.

Make sure you study all the pictures enlarged - there are some unusual items on display!

The biggest reason that the price IS outlandish is that nobody with that kinda "spending money" is likely to give a hoot about steam whistles.

Then you would be surprised. That is wrong.

I know one guy in NC, dropped more than that (a lot more) on one tractor and could buy those whistles if he wanted. And he does have whistles. Quite a few whistles. he is not alone. I agree an ebay sale seems unlikely. Never say never.

I would think it be much easier to sell one by one. As great a collection as this is., I don't see anything, I have not seen before. I think a high end whistle collector will certainly have many of these (or similar) already.

I totally go along with the low cost advertising idea. How can it hurt to get the word out?

I have a local friend, EF, who may have been the most noted authority on steam whistles. His Astragal Press published book, 'The Whistle's Moan,' is very good reading and still in print.

Ed showed me his collection a couple of years ago and I was quite interested though I knew I wasn't going to be collecting those things. I liked his early catalog and book ciollection quite as well.

He told me two or three months ago that he was selling his collection and that it was being eBayed, I think from Ohio, as this assortment is. The pieces were being sold one at a time, singly, as I recall. I asked him if he was realizing good prices and he seemed satisfied.

He did give me the eBay moniker of the seller, whom I looked up just out of general interest but was unsuccessfull in finding. I don't think this seller of this assortment is the same seller, though I'm not sure.

The photographs show the items mounted in a shop. Ed had some of his collection hung in this fashion. I can't tell if those photograph show his shop, this is possible, I think.

It looks like all (or almost) are hooked to air. How many layers of hearing protection would you need to blow some of those in an enclosed building? Everything from chest pounding low moaners to the tiny shrill tweeters. I counted about 99 pieces, thats about $1,700 each.

These are like coins or stamps, how much does a silver dollar cost? same answer. Can be 5-10k easy for high end, and that not even take into account any record setting exception. A dirt common clean whistle a few hundred.

You have to look at all 100 whistles, itemize and figure a unique value for each. It just does not go 99 x average value = xxx. Any potential buyer would have to go down there for a week just to figure a fair offer, not likely. Condition matters, the builder matters also documented provenance.

Like Northsinger, I got the book, I got a magazine, I checked it out and decided it was not for me. I love steam engines, but this is a whole different type of community and different ball of wax. I have a couple, not a collection. Nothing wrong with any of it, just not for me.

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